Individual refrigerator door gasket die cut folder



A g- 1967 J. w. HARRISON INDIVIDUAL REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET DIE CUT FOLDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1963 INVENTOR JERRY W. HARRISON 139M;

ATTORNEY g- 1957 J. w. HARRISON INDIVIDUAL REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET DIE CUT FOLDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18. 1963 INVENTOR JERRY W HARRISON BY w; \1. M

ATTORNEY 1967 J. w. HARRlsoN 3,337,113

INDIVIDUAL REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET DIE CUT FOLDER Filed Oct. 1-8, 1963 I v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZNVENTOR JERRY W. HARRISON I B gilww ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1967 J w HARRISON 3,337,113

INDIVIDUAL REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET DIE CUT FOLDER Filed Oct. 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet '4 INVENTOR JERRY W. HARRISON ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1967 J. W. HARRISON Filed Oct. 18

INDIVIDUAL REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET DIE CUT FOLDER 5 Sheets-$heet 5 A 35 INVENTOR 7518 JERRY WHARRISOP ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,337,113 INDIVIDUAL REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET DIE CUT FOLDER Jerry W. Harrison, New Albany, Ind., assignor to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,283 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) gasket may be stored for shipping and there is likewise provided a centrally disposed rectangular recess in one side of the folder and a rectangular raised portion on the opposite side of the folder, the recess and raised portion being encompassed by the frame-like portion of the folder. The device is such that pluralities of the same may be conveniently stacked, the raised portions being snugly received in the recesses. The device is possessed of several novel features, one of which is a selflocking flap which will be more fully defined hereinbelow.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a novel one piece folder for packaging of individual refrigerator door gaskets.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, novel means for stacking pluralities of the same.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novelself-locking panel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, novel means for providing therein a continuous rectangularly extending fully enclosed passageway for storing an endless gasket.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a folder of the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet etfective and eificient in use.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank of a folder embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the blank shown in FIGURE 1 but showing the same in partly folded condition;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating the folder at a further state in its assembly;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating the completely assembled folder viewed from the upper side thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but viewing the same from the lower side thereof;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 5 and,

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view, partly in section, showing the manner of stacking pluralities of the devices of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown therein a central rectangular panel 10, a pair of side sections generally indicated at 11 and a pair of end sections generally indicated at 12.

End sections 12 each consist of an outer panel 13, an inner panel 14 interconnected integrally with panel 13 by an outer end wall 15. The outer panels 13 are each provided on each side thereof with an integrally formed ear 16 and the inner panels are each likewise provided on each side thereof with integrally formed ears 17. In the outer edge portion of each of the panels 13 there is centrally provided a spacer flop 18 defined at either of its sides by slots 19 and at its inner edge by a fold line 20.

An outwardly divergent inner end wall 21, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, is integrally connected along a fold line 22 to each end of the central panel 10 and to the inner edge of the adjacent inner panel 14 along a fold line 23 and inner panels 14 each are provided with integrally formed inwardly extending flaps 24.

Side sections 11 each consist of an inner panel 25, an outer panel 26 integrally interconnected with panel 25 along fold lines 27 and 28 by an outer side wall 29. A spacer flap 30 is centrally and integrally connected to the outer edge of each of the outer panel 26 along fold lines 31 and each is provided with cut away outer corners 32. A pair of locking tabs 33 is cut from each of spacer flaps 30 and each is integral at its base with its adjoining panel 26.

Each of the inner panels 25 is integrally connected at its inner edge along a fold line 34 to an outwardly divergent inner side wall 35 which is in each case, in turn, connected along a fold line 36 to the adjacent side of central panel 10.

Side'sections 11 are each provided adjacent each side thereof with pairs of slots 37, each slot in each case lying immediately inwardly of a fold line 27 and 28.

The inner side walls 35 are each provided with a pair of slots 38, the slots 38 being spaced a slight distance outwardly of the panel 10 in each case.

In assembling the folder to package, for example, an endless gasket indicated in dotted lines at 39, the inner side walls are first folded downwardly with respect to panel 10 along fold lines 36 after which the inner end walls 21 are likewise folded downwardly with respect to panel 10 along fold lines 22 at the same time bending the remainder of the end sections 12 upwardly with respect to the panels 21 and guiding flaps 24 to positions over the side walls 35. Gasket 39 is then positioned around the central panel and inner walls 21 and 35.

Side sections 11 are then bent to vertical positions along fold lines 34 whereupon the outer end walls 15 are bent to vertical position and outer panels 13 bent inwardly of the device using the fold lines 40 defining the outer end walls 15 for such purpose. The ears 16 and 17 are thereupon inserted into the slots 37 while the spacer flaps 18 are bent downwardly in abutting relation to the inner end walls 21, the bottom edges of such flaps 18 abutting the surfaces of their respective inner panels 14 to maintain the planes of panels 13 and 14 in a parallel relationship.

It will be seen that since walls 21 and 35 are outwardly divergent in their blank form that when bent as above described, they will extend somewhat angularly outwardly downwardly and not vertically.

Outer panels 26 are now extended inwardly, bending the side section 11 along fold lines 27 and 29 for such purpose and the spacer flaps 30 are then bent vertically downwardly in sliding contact with their adjacent inner side walls 35 whereupon the locking tabs 33 first contact the surfaces of walls 35 distorting the same outwardly until tabs 33 register with slots 38 with a snapping action due to the tension previously applied to walls 35 to thus securely lock the entire device in a unitary manner and with a minimum of effort.

It will be seen that the free edges of the main bodies of flaps 30 will rest upon the surfaces of panels 25 while the edges of the cut away portions 32 will rest upon flaps 24. I

It will also be seen that a device such as the gasket 39 may be fully and quickly positioned and protectively concealed and completely enclosed within the folder of the present invention and that the packages thus formed may be stacked in the manner shown in FIGURE 8, the raised portion formed by panel 10 and inner walls 21 and 35 being receivable in the recess formed by the same elements in the package immediately overlying it.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that other modifications and/or equivalents may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable package for receiving and enclosing a ring-like article comprising a unitary blank defining a rectangular panel,

inner wall panels foldably joined with and angularly disposed relative to said rectangular panel,

side and end sections foldably joined to said inner wall panels and each of said sections including a plurality of foldably interconnected wall portions,

said sections cooperating with said inner Wall panels and defining therewith,

a tubular structure having therein a spatially-continuous article-receiving cavity encompassing and extending outwardly from said inner wall panels for removably enclosing a ring-like article, and means readily detachably securing the free ends of said portions of each of said side sections to oppositely disposed inner wall panels, with said free ends disposed adjacent the outer surface of said inner wall panels.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said rectangular panel is spaced apart from said tubular structure 3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said end sections each include inwardly extending engageable portions engagingly received by portions of said inner walls and by other portions of each of said side sections.

4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said securing means additionaly includes tab and slot means for readily detachably securing said end sections to said side sections.

5. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said inner wall panels diverge outwardly from said rectangular panel and define therewith a recess for nestably receiving therein portions of another like package structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,352,684 7/1944 Braddock 220236 2,465,169 3/ 1949 OConnor 22934 2,531,255 11/1950 Clarke 206-44 2,670,123 2/1954 Frankenstein 22934 3,195,770 7/1965 Robertson 220-236 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FOLDABLE PACKAGE FOR RECEIVING AND ENCLOSING A RING-LIKE ARTICLE COMPRISING A UNITARY BLANK DEFINING A RECTANGULAR PANEL, INNER WALL PANELS FOLDABLY JOINED WITH AND ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID RECTANGULAR PANEL, SIDE AND END SECTIONS FOLDABLY JOINED TO SAID INNER WALL PANELS AND EACH OF SAID SECTIONS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF FOLDABLY INTERCONNECTED WALL PORTIONS, SAID SECTIONS COOPERATING WITH SAID INNER WALL PANELS AND DEFINING THEREWITH, A TUBULAR STRUCTURE HAVING THEREIN A SPATIALLY-CONTINUOUS ARTICLE-RECEIVING CAVITY ENCOMPASSING AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID INNER WALL PANELS FOR REMOVABLY ENCLOSING A RING-LIKE ARTICLE, AND MEANS READILY DETACHABLY SECURING THE FREE ENDS OF SAID PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID SIDE SECTIONS TO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED INNER WALL PANELS, WITH SAID FREE ENDS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID INNER WALL PANELS. 